The experiences of fieldwork educators in the supervision of level II occupational therapy assistant students

Abstract

Although much has been written on the supervision of occupational therapy students, little addresses the unique issues in the supervision of occupational therapy assistant students. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding ofthe elements in the supervision of occupational therapy assistant students as they are experienced by fieldwork educators. Data collected from a focus group raised the following issues: the effect of the . stressful healthcare environment on fieldwork education, the continued tension between academia and practice, the fieldwork educator's feeling of abandonment by academia, and the confusion associated with role delineation. The results of this study suggest. that the profession must find ways to address the undercurrent of issues between academia and practice, to increase clarity in role delineation, to offer a practical peer-based support program for the fieldwork educator, and to encourage more occupational therapy assistants to become fieldwork educators.